As the reigning women’s singles badminton gold medalist from the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics held in 2021, China’s Chen Yufei is setting her sights on defending her title at Paris 2024. With the support of coach Luo Yigang, who has led China’s women’s singles shuttlers to numerous international victories over the past six years, Chen is preparing to face new challenges on the Olympic stage.
China has demonstrated dominance in women’s singles badminton, with four of the top eight players at the Badminton World Federation’s Olympic qualification tournament hailing from the nation. Due to the Olympic rule that limits each national association to a maximum of two players per singles event, Chen Yufei and He Bingjiao have been selected to represent China in Paris.
“I have been in my comfort zone since I won the women’s singles Olympic gold medal,” Chen shared with China Media Group (CMG). “I haven’t been able to achieve any major breakthroughs since then. I’ve lost many matches by no more than two points. Those matches looked close, and I seemed to be working hard, but I just couldn’t win. It had nothing to do with my stamina. I just lacked enough will to win.”
Coach Luo has noticed changes in Chen’s approach. “Chen wants to win her second gold in Paris, but I can feel that something has changed with her mindset,” he said. “She may not handle it well when difficulties grow too big for her. That’s one of my concerns.”
One of the biggest hurdles for Chen at Paris 2024 will be facing World No. 1 An Se-young of South Korea. “An Se-young is one of the main opponents for us,” Luo told CMG. “She may not be as aggressive as she used to be before suffering an injury at the Asian Games, but no one has 100 percent confidence in beating An in a women’s singles match, even after she slows down.”
Chen acknowledges the challenge. “I think An reads the match better than before and better than I do,” she admitted. “She understands the sport well. She always chooses the right tactics and reads her opponent’s plays correctly. She knows exactly how to win the match.”
Despite the pressure, Chen is focused on finding balance. She aims not only to defend her Olympic title but also to rekindle her enjoyment of badminton. “The key is to find a balance between staying confident and maintaining a relaxed mindset,” she said.
As Paris 2024 approaches, Chen Yufei is embracing both the challenges and opportunities ahead, determined to rise above her past limitations and achieve new heights in her career.
Reference(s):
China's Olympic badminton gold medalist Chen Yufei fears no challenge
cgtn.com
